In particular, the present invention relates to a device which may be employed to advantage for loading/unloading tires on/off a tire curing unit comprising an upper half mold, a lower half mold and a device for parting the two half molds at the end of each curing cycle; and wherein the two half molds are so formed that, when parted, the cured tire remains integral with the upper half mold.
When manufacturing tires, particularly vehicle tires having internal body plies formed from nylon cords or other synthetic fibers which shrink when cooled, it is now customary to subject each tire, upon extraction from the curing mold, to a stabilizing operation generally consisting in mounting the tire on a support, inflating it to a given pressure, usually of about 3 atmospheres, and maintaining this pressure long enough for the tire to cool from an initial temperature of about 180.degree. C. to below a given temperature, usually of about 100.degree. C.
Such a process, usually referred to as "post inflation", provides, not only for preventing the synthetic cords from shrinking, thus avoiding undesired distortion of the tire, but also for stabilizing the shape of the cords, which is extremely useful in terms of finished tire quality. Stabilizing cured tires, however, usually involves a number of drawbacks for the manufacturer, mainly due to the relatively long time required for cooling, and the size of currently used stabilizing equipment. Generally speaking, in fact, the time required at present for ensuring correct stabilization of a tire is roughly twice that required for curing. Consequently, two stabilizing machines are usually required for each curing mold, each of which usually features complex centralized systems for supplying cooling fluids such as water and/or air, for cooling the outer surface of the tires during stabilization.